Fluid heater



May 5, 1925.

L. L. GORR FLUID HEATER Filed March 11, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 5, 19251 L. L. GORR FLUID HEATER Filed March 11, 1921 gnuemtoz May 5, 1925.

L. L. GORR FLUID HEATER Filed March 11, 192;

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ryn/d.

ILII IFII lhllp May 5, 1925.

L. L. GORR FLUID HEATER Filed March 11, 1921 gnucni'o'c ill mama" Patented May 5,, 1925.

UNITED STATES LOUIS L. GORE, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

FLUID HEATER.

p, Application filed March 11, 1921.

'7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS L. Gone, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Fluid Heater; and I do hereby declare the fol- 'lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

The invention aims to provide a heating apparatus generally of novel and im-.

proved construction and which attains the various objects and advantages which will be pointed out and become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in" connection with accompanying drawings illustrating one practical embodiment.

In the drawings I Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying the invention with theadjacent wall of the furnace casing in section.

Figure 2 is an end view of the same with the adjacent wall of the furnace casing in section.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View on the plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 2. 4

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the conductors for the fluid to be heated.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 7--7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a side view ofa modified con struction, the walls of the furnace housing being shown in section.

Figure 9 is an end view of.the construction shown in Flgure 8, the furnace casing being shown in section.

Figures 10 and 11 are vertical sectional views taken on the planes indicated respectively by the lines "1010 and 11-11 of Figure 9.

Figures 12 and 13 are sectional views-respectively on the planes: indicated by the lines 12-12 and 1313 of Figure 8.

Figures 14 and 15 are horizontal sectional views respectively on the planes indicated by the lines 1414 and 15-15 of Figure 8. r v

Figure 16 is a longitudinal sectional view Serial No. 451,470.

of a simplified arrangement of the form illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 inclusive, and

Figure 17 is a sectional view on the line 1717 of Figure 16.

The casing forming passages for the fluid to be heated is constructed to provide the outlet passage 20 and the inlet passage 21, arranged in the construction illustrated longitudinally of the furnace housing 23 so as to extend lengthwise through the combustion chamber 24, with the heating unit, in this instance consisting of the burner tube 25, located at the base of and under the upleg so as to cause an expansion of the fluid to be heated in such relation to the body of the contents of the casing for the fluid to be heated as to produce an upward movement or circulation of the fluid through the outlet or upleg 20 with a corresponding downward circulation through the other leg to displace the expanded portion of the fluid to be heated by gravity or greater specific gravity, and in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the structure embodies two units each having a U-tube or U-form casing forming passages for the fluid to be heated arranged between conductors or passages for the heating medium as shown at 26 and which are in communication with the combustion chamber and serve to convey the heat and products of combustion from the heating units to the outlet 27, the inlet and outlet openings 28 and 29 respectively for the downleg and the upleg of the conductor for the fluid to be heated being arrranged in juxtaposition preferably, as shown, near the front of the furnace casing.

While the outlet or upleg of the conductor for the fluid to be heated is preferably straight and vertical, the inlet or down-leg thereof is preferably of zig-zag or interrupted form, being fitted with bafile plates 30 arranged in reverse relations alternately to form staggered openings 31 and 32 located respectively near the rear and front walls of the downleg, while a corresponding reversed circuitous passage for the heat: ing medium of products of combustion is afforded by the use of bafiie plates 33 so positioned as to provide openings 34: and 35 also located respectively at the rear and at the front of the furnace to cause a progress of theheating mediumjn a path which is parallel with but directly opposed to that of the fluid to be heated, to the end that as the heating medium loses its heat units in its progress from the heating unit to the outlet 27 it comes into heat communicating relation with gradually cooler volumes of the fluid to be heated entering the inlet of the downleg of the conductor for said heated medium. Thus at no point in the progress of the fluid to be heated and the heating medium in traversing the oppositely directed passages provided therefor, can there be a neutralization or equalization of heat units in the two mediums, and consequently no tendency to interrupt or retard the continuous uniform and active circulation in opposite directions of the heating medium and fluid to be heated respectively in their progress toward the outlet 27 and the cross passage 22.

The discharge of the down-leg of the conductor for the fluid to be heated is preferably effected by means of a nozzle or extension 36 discharging in a plane adjacent to the heating unit and a considerable distance below the plane of the upper wall-of the combustion chamber which is represented by lateral enlargements '37 of the conductor leg 22, forming a transversely and longitudinally inclined wall 38 serving to direct the heating medium toward the inlet 39 to the circuitous passage which is arranged in counter-current relation with the down-leg passage of the conductor for the fluid to be heated, and indicated by the arrows in the several figures, and obviously the discharge of the down-coming column ofethe fluid to be; heated in a plane considerably below the top of the combustion chamber defined, as above described by said lateral enlarge ments of the casing forming the passages for the fluid to be heated will serve to prevent pocketing or stagnation of the heating medium and hence overheating of the walls of the casing. To further guard against the pocketing of the products of combustion, reduced passages 40 may be provided at the extremitiees of the enlargements 37 to afford direct upward communication between the combustion chamber and the lowermost run of the outlet passage for the products of combustion. Also in order to avoid a too intimate relation between the incoming column of fluid to be heated vtraversing the lowermost chamber or passage of the down-leg and the column of fluid to be heated moving forward in the cross passage 22 toward the upleg of the casing, the bottom wall of the down-leg is spaced from the top wall of the cross passage 22, as shown at 41 in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. The edges of the enlargements 37 at their upper sides are flanged as indicated at 42 to provide means for conducting water of condensation to suitable drip tubes or outlets 43.

Also'as a means of providing for equalization of pressures a vent 44 is preferably provided between the upleg and down-leg passages of the conductor for the fluid to be heated near the inlet and outlet ends thereof, and obviously suitable cleaning plugs From the foregoing description of, one

form of apparatus embodying the principles of the invention it will be seen that the counter-current passages for the fluid to be heated and the heating medium of which the former may be air or water, the latter being employed-primarily as a circulating medium or as the origin of steam when the latter is preferred as the circulating medium of form thereof, are so disposed as to locate the passages forthe fluid to be heated between passages for the heating medium, thus locating the latter exteriorly, in. which event a anasonry or other more or less refractory or heat non-conducting wall is preferable as an enclosing housing within which is arranged a sheet metal structure constituting the U-form casing units relatively disposed as above indicated to form the conductor passages for the heating medium between said units and between the units and the side walls of thehousing, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and thisarrangement is preferable when-water is used as the fluid heating mediumpor when it is desired to employ steam generated from the water as the circulating medium, in which latter event however the connecting vent 44 should be made of larger dimensions than indicated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, and a corresponding enlargement is preferable with relation to the openings connecting the runs of the passages for the heating medium in the inlet or down-leg of the Y ranged exteriorly and encloses or surrounds the outlet or up-leg element thereof, connected as in the construction'previously de'-,

scribed by the cross passage-52, with however the heating unit fillocated as previously described at the base of the up-leg thereof, and with the conductor for the nication at its rear end with the combus-' tion chamber 54 and the lateral or side pas-v sages 55 which are in communication with the centralpassage to afford a zlg-zag orcircuitous path for the products'of combustion in counter or opposed relation with thepath of progress of the fluid to be heated as hereinbefore described. In the construction illustrated the central passage 53 is divided to form upper and lower chambers by an interposed partition 56 and the lower chamber is in communication at its forward end by means of cross passages 57 with the lower chambers of the lateral passages 55, said lateral passages being divided into upper and lower members by partitions 58, and said lower chambers of the lateral passages being in communication by openings 59 at their rear ends with the upper chambers which in turn are in communication at their forward ends by cross passages 60 with the upper chamber of the central passage which is provided at its-rear end with the smoke outlet 61. Obviously by pro viding the partition 56 which separates the upper and lower chambers of the passage 53 with an. opening 62, (closed in the con,- struction illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 by a cover plate 63,) direct communication between said lower and upper chambers may be afforded to convey the products of com- 'bustion to the outlet 61, in which event the lateral passages in a simplified form of the V apparatus may be dispensed with. Such an inclusive the principle ofoperation involvarrangement is illustrated in Figures 16 and It will bese'en that as in the form reviously described the fluid to be heate in passing from the downleg to the cross pas sage is conducted by the nozzle formed by the downwardly convergent yva1ls 64 to a plane of delivery adjacent to the bottom of the passage 52 so as to maintain an active circulation of the fluid tojbe heated at the bottom wall of theU-formcasing which is directly exposed to the effect of the heating units, to prevent overheating thereof and insure an effective absorption of the heat units by the fluid to beheated prior to entering the up-leg or outlet passage of the'conductor, and as a consequence insure an active and uniform circulation of the fluid to be heated, it being understood that the burner illustrated in the drawings as the heating unit is merely typical and'is designed to represent any preferred form of heating unit adapted to utilize any suitable form of fuel. I

In the form illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 the heating medium and the fluid to be heated to provide against neutralization or equalization of the temperatures of the mediums at any given point is the same as previously described in connection with the form of the invention illustrated in Figures .1 to 7 inclusive, and as in, that form the structure illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 inclusive embodies drainage means for the water. of condensation as indicated by the spout 65, and the forward ends of the walls 64 are connected as indicated at 66'to insure the discharge of the downwardly mov ing contents of the down-leg of the casing for the fluid to be heated in proximity to the bottom of the cross passage 52 before entering the lower end of the upleg. The lower wall of said cross passage is preferably arched in V.-shape as indicated at 67 to increase-the effect of the heating unit upon thefluid to be heated and insure the raising of said fluid to the desired temperature to effect an economyiin the consumption of the. fuel. i y In the arrangement illustrated in Figures 16 and 17 the-casing forming the passage for the fluid to be heated is arranged exteriorly of that for the heating medium, the down-leg 70 of the former being connected with the up-leg 71 thereof by the cross passage 72, with the base of the up-leg arranged adjacent to the heatin unit 73, and with the circuitous passage 74 for the heating medium provided by a horizontal partition 7 5 having an opening 76 for establishing communication between the lower and upper chambers thereof, the lower chamber being in communication at its rear end with the combustion chamber 77 and the upper chamber having thesmoke outlet 78 at its rear end.

As in the previously described forms the heating medium and the fluid to be heated are conducted through counter-current pas sages with the said mediums progressing in opposite diretions to provide against neutralization or equalizationofth'e temperatures, the heating medium progressing to the outlet provided. at the rear whilethe I inlet and outlet openings of the legs of the conductor for the fluid to be heated medium are disposed in juxtaposition. 1

Obviously, the elements of the down-leg 21 may be'ma'de separately and connected together with washers of asbestos'between them, the washers of asbestos preventing heat from being conducted from one element to the other. 7

Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim is:

1. A heating a casing withinsa'id housing, said casing 1nfcluding a. downleg forming an inlet passage and an upleg forming an outlet passage for the fluid to be heated, said passages being apparatus having a housing,

cluding a downleg forming an inlet passage and an upleg forming an outlet passage for the fluid to be heated, said passages being in .communication at their lower ends, a source of, heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes upwardly from beneath the casing and along the sides thereof,

5 said housing having an outlet at the upper part thereof, and means to cause the heating medium to travel a tortuous path along the downleg of said casing to said outlet.

3. A heating apparatus having a housing, a casing within said housing, said casing including a downleg forming an inlet passage and an upleg formingan outlet passage for the fluid to be heated, said passages being in communication at their lower ends,.a source 1 of heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes upwardly from be: neath the casing and along the sides thereof, mid housing having an outlet at the upper art thereof, and means to cause the fluid to be heated to travel a tortuous path through the downleg of said casing. I

4. 'Aheating apparatus having a housing,

. a casing within said housing, said casing ineluding a downleg forming an inlet passage and an upleg forming an outlet passage for the fluid to be heated, said passages being in communication at their lower ends, a source --of heatassociated with the housing from which the: heat passes upwardly from beneath thecasing and along the'sides thereof, said housing having an outlet at the upper ;partthereof, and theapparatus having a vent connecting said downleg and upleg near 1 their'upper' ends.

5. heating apparatus having a housing, a sectional casing within said housing and forming a passage for the fluid to be heated,

the sections of said casing consisting of a ownleg, an upleg and having a cross passage forming a means of communication between said legs at their lower ends, the top ,of said cross passage being wider than the base; a source of'heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes upwardlv from beneath the casing and along the at the upper part of thehousing.

sides thereof, said housing having an oiitlet 6. Avheating apparatus having a housing, a' sectional casing within said housing and forming a passage for the fluid to be heated,

,the sections of said casing consisting of a downleg, an upleg and having a cross passage forming a means of communication be-' tween said legs at their lower ends, the top of said cross passage being wider than the basewith its upper wall inclined and having flanges at the outer edges of same to provide a drain; a source of heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes upwardly from beneath the casing and along the sides-thereof, said housing having an outlet at the upper partof the housing.

7. A heating apparatus having a housing, a sectional casing within said housing and forming a passage for the fluid to be heated, the sections of said casing consisting of a downleg, an upleg and-having a cross passage forming awmeans of communication between said legs at their lower ends, the top of said cross passage being wider than the base, and the downleg having a nozzle extending into said cross passage; a source of heat associated with the housing from which.

sections of said casing embodying a hollow base having an inclined upper wall and provided at one end' with an upleg or outlet passage with which it is in communication, said base being laterally enlarged ad acent said inclined upper wall, flanges at the upper longitudinaledges of said inclinedwall to provide a drain; the other of said sections of the casing forming a downleg or inlet passage for the fluid to be heated and disposed opposite said upleg and over the inclined wall .ofthebase and with its lower wall spaced above the inclined wall of the base, said downleg having a nozzle extending into said base through its upper inclined wall ;1 baffle plates within the downleg to let passages near the upper ends thereof; a

source-of heat associated witli the housing from which the heat passes upwardly from beneath the casing and along the sides thereof, said casing having. an outlet at the upper part of the housing;

9. A heating apparatus having a housing,

an outer casing therein the'rear of which is in'spaced relation to the rear of said housing, an inner easing placed within and in spaced relation to the outer casing. a source of heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes under and to the rear of the outer casing and'upwardly through the inner casing to an outlet, the fluid to be heated passing downwardly from the top of the housing along the sides of the inner casing, over the bottom of the outer casing casing tothe top of the housing.

and upwardly along the front of Lthe inner 10. A heating apparatus having a ing, an outer casing therein with downwardly and inwardly extending side walls intersecting the bottom of same, the rear of said outer casing being in spacederelation to the rear of said housing, an inner casing placed within an in spaced relation to said outer casing, and having inclined upper and lower sidewalls and being. provided with a horizontal partition having an opening to establish communication between the lower and upper cha bers formed by said partition, :1 source of heat associated with the housing from which the heat passes under and to the rear of the outer casing and upwardly through the rear end of-the lower chamber of the inner casing, to said opening between the upper and lower chambers, and through the'upper chamber of said inner casing to an outlet at the rear of same, the fluid to be heated passingdownwardly from an opening at the top of the housing through the space between the housing and the inner casing, said space forming a downlegor inlet passage, and through a cross passage formed by downwardly and inwardly extending bafiles attached to the side walls of the outer casing and by thebottom and side walls of said outer casing, and upwardly along the. front of the inner casing through an upleg passage to an outlet at the top of the casing. j

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS L. GORE. Witnesses:

GRACE L. GoRR, F. J. ALLENDER. 

